To the End
by lonerism
Summary: Henry Hamilton was a man of his words, and he was simply fulfilling the promise he had made to his eternal love. (AU, Henry/Caroline)


Henry stared at the sleeping young man in front of him; watched as his chest rises and falls with each breath he took. He was everything Henry wasn't. There was this fight in him—there was a light, and there was a will to keep going—two things Henry had lost all those years ago. Maybe it had something to do with his youth; how he hadn't seen the things Henry had seen, and how he hadn't gone through the things Henry had gone through.

And that was probably why Henry decided to do what he was doing now. Will was still keen to see what life has to offer to him, while Henry had had his fair share. He kneeled down, gently pressing his arm against Will's. He waited anxiously as the numbers on his arm diminished, leaving only a few digits of numbers that would be more than enough for him. Sparing the young man one last glance, Henry rose and strode to make his way out. But he stopped at the doorway, pausing momentarily before deciding to go to the dirty windows. With his pointed finger he wrote a quick note for Will. The message was short and simple, yet when one reads it they would have the words recited in their head for the rest of their life.

'_DON'T WASTE MY TIME,' __was what_Henry had written, before leaving the room in haste.

.

* * *

.

He felt like he was running towards freedom. It certainly felt like he had been running in a non-stop marathon, and he could _finally_ see the finish line.

His lips parted in a smile and he felt a happiness he couldn't quite content. As his legs carried him closer to his destination, laughter erupted from his chest; a free, _liberating_ laugh. He sounded like someone whom had been released from the shackles that had bound him in misery. Oh, how he had been waiting for this; how he had _longed_ and ached for this. And now, it was finally there, right before his eyes.

Climbing onto the barrier, he could feel his legs starting to shake; not because of fear—no, definitely _not_ fear—but because of the anticipation of what he would be meeting in a matter of seconds; _peace,_ at last.

He sat down, his ears picking up the ticking sound of his Living time. He could hear his heartbeat—loud and erratic—and he knew that soon, very soon, he wouldn't be able to hear those sounds again. And knowing this fact didn't make him sad, nor that it upset him.

Closing his eyes, he let the flashes of his memories invading his head, as a smile yet again curved on his lips as the image of her face came up.

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* * *

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_Even in between pain, she never let the smile slip from her beautiful features. Her breath was shallow and ragged, and even his human hearing could pick that up. She was bleeding; there was blood all over her, so much that he didn't know where the wounds were anymore. He was scared to pick her up, afraid he would hurt her more, but he knew her time was wearing thin and this could be the very last chance for him to hold her in his arms._

_She smiled weakly, not being able to do more as the pain was starting to eat her alive. 'I love you,' she had said in her head, wishing he had the ability to read minds, or at least he would see it in her eyes._

_He had never seen her so powerless, so frail. When he met her a decade ago, she was broken, torn from her past, but she was always holding her head high and her shoulders firm. A smile was always on show that he almost believed that it was sincere. He cursed the ones who did this to her under his breath, promising her he would make sure whoever these 'The Five' people are, would pay for what they've done to her._

_She shook her head, very gently, and if he hadn't been staring intently at her he wouldn't have noticed the movement she made. His eyes were hot, and soon he felt a drop of his tear fell down his cheek, and he realized all this time his breath had been choked in his throat. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers in despair. She just let him assault her lips, allowing him entrance and started to kiss him back using all the energy she had left in her. He could taste her blood and his tears, but he didn't care. He was desperate; he wanted to be close to her before death could finally pull them apart. _

_She died in his arms, soon after they broke off their kiss. Her eyes were closed tight and she looked so peaceful, that if he had ignored the blood and the way her body started graying, he would have thought she was sleeping._

_He held her until dawn broke, still not ready to let her go just yet._

_._

* * *

_._

She was immortal. Unlike the rest of them, she didn't have to buy her time. She had all the time in the world and she didn't have to spend anything to get it. Not even a penny. She was bestowed with power and strength that made her superior in comparison of humans like him. But _she _was the one who died first, not him. Her.

He laughed at the irony.

Henry was brought back from his thoughts when the Living time on his arm started beeping loudly. He opened his eyes, and brought his arm up to the level of his eyes. He had five seconds left. A smile tugged on his lips, because he knew he was close—very close. In just a matter of seconds, he would see her again; his _Caroline_—his _light_. She had always said vampires are doomed for hell, and that she probably would never see him again if she dies because she was certain he was going to heaven. But he knew he was a sinner, and despite him being a human, he was sure Caroline had done more good than he ever did in his life.

'_We will meet again, my love,' _he had promised her one day, to which she just laughed, because she still believed humans like him would never get a taste of the fire in hell.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the fresh air the earth provided one last time. Right then he felt a sharp pain all over his body as the death pulled his soul out of his body.

Henry Hamilton was always a man of his promise. And now, he was fulfilling the one he had made to his eternal love, all those years ago.

.


End file.
